Tech: Mouse creep

Subject: Tech: Mouse creep
From: terrier
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 05:06 PM

Since I upgraded to IE7,I find that when using the scroll wheel on the mouse, when I physically stop scrolling, the screen continues to scroll for several more lines. It has only started doing this since IE7 was installed.It doesn't happen if I use the arrow keys or the scroll bar. Anyone else experienced this? Anyone know how to fix it?
Whilst not the end of life as we know it, it's very annoying. :#<

Cheers T.......

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 06:27 PM

If, by chance, you're using a "wireless" mouse, a low battery in the mouse is a likely cause of the creep. In that case, it's likely just a coincidence that the battery got down at about the same time you switched to IE7. A mouse with internal battery can "work" for a long time on a low battery, but may be "erratic" in a number of ways.

If you're using a standard wired mouse, the most likely is a buildup of crud on the rollers. If the position increments from the rollers are "unstable" the point point that the wheel references gets flaky, and acts unstable. A dirty roller wheel, and/or marginal wheel push switch can also cause it.

I haven't observed a difference in mousing between IE6 and IE7, but haven't had IE7 long enough to find all the new tricks.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Cluin
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 06:30 PM

Does this happen all the time or only on long threads here?

Perhaps it is a result of long pages continuing to load and changing the relative position of the scroll bar on the page as they load.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Dec 06 - 08:45 PM

Repeat of disappeared post.

I'm sure you know this, but you can adjust the # of lines per click.

Start > Control Panel > Mouse > Wheel. Then select how many lines per click. Maybe that # changed when you upgraded.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 09:47 AM

Or you can dump IE 7.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Cluin
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 04:39 PM

Gonna be stuck with it sooner or later, SRS. Might as well get used to it now.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: terrier
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 05:00 PM

Using standard PS2 mouse with scroll wheel, plug in type min din.
Tried new mouse and still the same.
Scroll lines set to one.
Happens not only on MUDCAT but any place that requires scrolling.
Changed to USB mouse with scroll wheel....problem cured.

BTW, I thought I'd give AVG AniVirus a go and after I loaded it, IE7 also loaded itself, uninvited, just like that.
I felt I may as well get used to it as Cluin says. So far the only problems are finding my way around it's new format. I must say, as I get used to using it I'm finding it OK. No other problems so far and I can't be sure it caused the mouse problem.
Thanks for your help, T........

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Dec 06 - 11:38 PM

Why, Cluin? Let others work out the bugs in what almost amounts to a Beta version and MS offer a few fixes before loading it. That's what I usually do.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Cluin
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 12:14 AM

Uh uh. It's been in beta for a long time now. This is the released version.

And MS has been putting out IE6 updates periodically until just a few weeks ago.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 02:12 AM

BTW, I thought I'd give AVG AniVirus a go and after I loaded it, IE7 also loaded itself, uninvited, just like that.

I'd heard rumors that some of the AV people have considered IE7 enough of a "security improvement" that they've included it in or with their downloads; but info has been vague at best. AVG may be one who's decided to do that, or it may have just arrived at about the same time from Microsoft by coincidence. If AVG did it, I'd think their site would mention how much they've "helped" you.

Thus far I haven't heard even rumors of any who have put it on their distrubution CDs (i.e. in the shrink wraps).

And so far, the descriptions of what is more secure have been limited to "trust us."

I'm so very really like uh ... reassured...

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: GUEST,Geoff the Duck
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 03:21 AM

Cluin - NOBODY is STUCK with IE7. One word - FIREFOX. You get a browser that works.
Quack!!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: treewind
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 03:45 AM

Wot Geoff said.
I use IE for only two things:
- Windows updates (can't be avoided)
- testing web sites for compatibility

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Cluin
Date: 12 Dec 06 - 11:53 AM

Well, I dumped IE7 and went back to 6 today.

I was one who liked the new look and layout of 7 (once I got used to it) but it f__ked with my Musicmatch Jukebox. I paid for MMJB 8.0 and I like the way it works. Searching online I see that I'd have to upgrade to 10 to get MMJB to work after installing IE7. But later versions of that software are just too bloated and clunky with less options to customize. I couldn't reinstall the MusicMatch I have; it would hang partway into install.

So back to IE6. Things are working fine again.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 05:01 AM

Cluin - try Firefox. You can even run it on a USB memory sick without installing ANYTHING on your PC. Take your bookmarks with you wherever you go.
BLICKY
I nearly always open Mudcat threads in tabs so I can be selecting my reading list whilst the threads are loading into their respective tabs.

Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Scrump
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 06:26 AM

What you need is a cat :-)

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 10:04 AM

Golly Gee GtD, and they went to all that trouble to put tabs in IE7 just for you...

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 13 Dec 06 - 06:34 PM

I keep doing my best to make sure the Auto Update doesn't install it, thanks.
Quack
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 02:38 AM

GtD -

I got IE7 on my main computer because an incomplete auto update set my IE6 to go to the update site instead of my normal home page. It didn't show in Critical updates, and I got it (by accident) in a 45 MB mess of "optional" updates.

When I turned on the laptop that's been disconnected for about a month and couldn't get auto updates, I went to the Microsoft update site and it was included in the Critical updates (which after a month were a 45 MB download just of CRITICAL updates.)

All of the critical updates except IE7 installed automatically on the laptop. It stopped to ask whether I wanted to install IE7, and then demanded a specific acceptance of a new EULA just for IE7.

The EULA specified that it would only install on "Genuine WinXP SP2 or Server 2003" computers, and it did run the "Genuine" verification.

"Her" Win2K machine can download but can't install automatically unless someone's logged on with Administrator privileges, so I logged on to see if she was up to date. It did install 14 MB of updates, but IE7 was not included and was not offered in the Critical category, even after I went back to the download site and got it scanned. That doesn't mean, necessarily, that it couldn't come along later, but the EULA I got says it probably shouldn't.

WinXP SP2 and Server 2003 are the ONLY OS versions that can get automatic updates with auto install generally now. Win2K SP4 can get all updates, critical and optional, but can't get quite fully automatic service.

Some OS copies that can't show as "Genuine" may(?) still be able to get Critical patches, but have to do it manually so far as I know.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: GUEST,Obie
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 05:00 AM

Methinks thread creep overran the mouse creep.
On some mouses (mice??) the scroll wheel will click to an automatic scroll when it is pressed down upon. This will make the mouse run away.

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 07:26 AM

Obie -

In most recent Windows versions, and with most "wheel mouses" clicking down on the scroll wheel places an "anchor" on the screen. It usually looks like a circle with a dot in the middle, with triangles (that are supposed to look like arrowheads) pointing in opposite directions up/down. Scrolling isn't exactly automatic, but the scroll rate is proportional to how far your mouse cursor is above or below the "anchor." The anchor stays in one place on the screen, and doesn't move with what's scrolling. Clicking, either the wheel switch again or regular a mouse button, removes the anchor and stops the scrolling.

This might be useful on library systems where "all of the text of all documents in the library" have been condensed into one "page;" but as you say, in most cases it just makes the page run away from you. Few people I know use it, but it's handy in a few places.

On has to be an expert "wing shot" to click on the item wanted as it screams past.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Dec 06 - 10:26 AM

I'll have to reset my track ball, clicking the wheel does the same as clicking the left button. I used to have it set to scroll down a screen. Hmmm. I wonder when it stopped doing that (I don't use it that often apparently).

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 10:41 AM

Help - new mouse question: my optical mouse at work, rechargable (so batteries are not the problem), is suddenly got a jerky cursor. If it was an old-fashioned ball mouse I'd know what to do, but what could cause this in an optical mouse??

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 10:57 AM

["is suddenly got"?? Hmm. Must be early.]

More detail: it's smooth when moving to the right, but jerky when moving other directions.

I've check: can't see any lint over the lens, though I'm going to get a lab wipe right now.

~ B in T

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 11:10 AM

Becky -

Even with rechargeable batteries it's possible that the batteries have reached an end of life, and are not recharging as expected or supplying proper voltage in use. Most such mousies use a standard AA size, so one can try a different set of (properly charged) batteries.

Allowing for "imprecise terminology" a few "optical" mice have batteries both in the mouse and in a receiver that plugs into the computer somewhere. This is for the ones that plug into a (usually) USB jack and the signal is sent from the mouse to the receiver by IR with no wires. For an IR connected mouse, including the ones with no battery in the receiver, anything that blocks the line-of-sight between mouse and receiver can give erratic performance.

The little window on the bottom of an optical pickup mouse can get dirty, but usually is quite easy to clean with a "Q-tip" or wadded tissue. A dirty "mouse pad" can cause erratic behaviour. The mouse has a very close-up view, and can see stuff on the pad that may not be obvious to you.

With a USB mouse, wired or optical, adding a new USB device or moving an existing one to a different connector can sometimes interfere with mouse performance. As mentioned previously, lots of computers have more places to plug in USB devices than actual "USB ports," and two devices on the same port can cause interference. (My USB IR mouse goes slightly bonkers when I plug my camera into the adjacent USB jack to download pics. Since it doesn't prevent the downloads, I've not bothered to add another bridge to keep them separated.)

If your optical mouse is just an optical sensor, with a wire to the computer, the wire and/or the jacks at either end are possibilities. Loose or dirty connections are fairly common.

A corrupted mouse driver is also a possibility. The usual procedure is just to go into Device Manager and delete the mouse. Reboot, and the PnP system will detect the mouse and install a new driver. IFF you have the .CAB files on your hard drive, it will find a probably suitable driver there, or it may ask for your installation disk. If the mouse has "unusual" features, you may want to use the disk that came with the mouse.

John

Subject: RE: Tech: Mouse creep
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 21 Dec 06 - 11:35 AM

Thanks for all the tips, John. I'm working on the "power problems" theory: that it didn't get set in the charger properly, or the contacts were dirty; after that, it may be time for new rechargeable batteries.

It has magically fixed itself for the moment, while I wandered around trying to find out what happened to the original mouse that came with this Mac (the cordless is a Logitech).

~ Becky in Tucson